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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

This time of year it is very easy to get caught up in the hustle, bustle, and downright craziness of the season. I am very fortunate to have a little boy who constantly reminds me to treasure everyday goodness...

"i love you and daddy"

I have discovered that guerrilla goodness starts at a very young age - I find fun notes from Tyler all over the house!

But just so you don't get the wrong idea and think that my life is sickeningly, syrupy sweet...

"who farted"

I also find my fair share of silly notes too!

"oh yeah" (note within a note)

No piece of paper is safe... If it is lying within the reach of a pen or pencil, a little nugget of five year old wisdom is sure to follow!

These merry little memos are wonderful reminders to slow down and appreciate the abundance of awesomeness that can be found in the simplicity of daily life.

So today I will end this post with a little note for you, dear friend...

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Friday, November 18, 2011

(For hundreds of years people have pondered the Mona Lisa's expression... Could it be a "cat that ate the canary" look?)

Effie is doing much better (thank you for all of your well wishes!) and I'm excited to be back at Paint Party Friday! Wheee!

This week I was able to finish watching Amy's video and add paint, transfers, and colored pencil to the drawing that I started a couple of weekends ago. It was a lot of fun to create, but in the end I think I prefer the black and white version.

Have you taken any of Amy's free classes yet? They are so much fun! This Saturday Manon is teaching one. She also taught one last Friday that I can't wait to watch (because if you aren't able to watch them live, never fear... they record them)! Hooray! To watch previous classes and learn more about Manon's Saturday class, click here.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

You may have noticed that my AEDM posts came to an abrupt halt last week. The reason? Effie (my grandmother) went into the hospital. She is home now (and doing well), so I am back.

Because of lots of follow-up doctors' appointments and other "life stuff" I won't be posting every day, but I look forward to sharing my latest doodles with you... I have managed to squeeze in a bit of sketchbook time and I'm hoping to get back to a much more normal schedule soon!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you probably already know that snails make an appearance in my art from time to time. (If you're new here - Welcome! I hope you take a look around and come back to visit often!)

In addition to my "thank you" snail at the top of this post, there is even more "snail mail" in the works...

Monday, November 7, 2011

I'd like to start this post by thanking Tracey and Molly for giving me the "Tell Me About Yourself" award... Thank you both so much - I am very honored that you thought of me!

The first part of this award is to share 7 things about myself that you might not already know. Well, since I have been wanting to play along with Andrea's interview I thought I would answer those questions... It is actually 10 things, so I hope you don't mind!

1. What should you be doing right now instead of sitting on the computer?

Cleaning my studio! (See question 2!)

2. What's the messiest area of your house? and dare you to show us...

My studio. If I don't clean it soon, the next time I venture in there I will most likely not come out! Pictures? I'll have to dig my camera out first! Ha!

3. 5 simple things that make you happy right now, above and beyond the obvious like your family and your health...

squeezy bear hugs

perfectly ripe avocadoes

smiles from strangers

great big belly laughs

an extra hour of sleep

4. When did you last cry?

By the time you read this, I will probably have already cried again! Ha! I cry a lot... I cry when I am happy, sad, scared, angry... You get the picture, I'm sure. The only thing I do more than cry? Laugh! I laugh

(I know it might seem like an elusive answer, but I am superstitious and I am scared of jinxing myself!)

8. 5 things in your purse besides money and a cell phone...

I don't carry a purse - I like to keep things in my pockets. Sometimes I carry a great big bag with my sketchbook, art supplies, and camera, though.

9. The emotion or feeling you hate the most...

Jealousy and the feeling of inadequacy that often accompanies it.

"Comparison is the thief of joy!"

-Dwight Edwards

10. If you could have 50 pounds of anything except money or gold what would you want?

I'd be very curious to see what 50 pounds of feathers would look like, but what I'd really love to have is 50 pounds of paint, or canvas, or pencils... 50 pounds of art supplies is as good as gold, as far as I'm concerned!

The second part of this award is to give it to 15 great blogs. Well, the truth is I read a lot of great blogs and I'd love to know more about all of them! So, if you're reading this and you'd like to play along please grab the award and leave your link in the comments so I can learn more about you! If you've already accepted this award from someone else, I'd love it if you would leave your link in the comments too! (It's not necessary to answer these specific questions, but if you'd like to you can find them here.)

Sunday, November 6, 2011

This is the pencil drawing that I started in my sketchbook while watching Amy's free live workshop today. I wasn't able to stay for the whole thing, so I didn't pull out my paints. This week I'll add color while I finish watching the video!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Today I had the pleasure of painting along with Amy as she taught another free live workshop... It was like a live virtual paint party! These workshops are a lot of fun and it is great to be painting and chatting with so many people I've met through blogging!

In addition to painting, today's workshop started with sewing. (Can you believe it Jenny?!? I actually sewed something! Sure it was just a little bit of a border, but it won't be long until I'm giving your fun elephant pattern a try!) I sewed a dryer sheet onto a piece of cardstock, then painted on that. I was originally going to sew a piece of fabric to the cardstock, but someone mentioned dryer sheets and I remembered that Becca uses dryer sheets in her art, so I thought I'd give it a try. (I discovered that dryer sheets take paint pretty well, but the constant perfumey smell made me a bit queasy and gave me a headache... Lesson learned.)

The topic of conversation over at the Paint Party Friday blog this week is about why we buy the art that we buy... I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share some of the art that I have bought, been gifted, and won in giveaways. I have created a board on pinterest with some of the art that I have in my house. (If you'd like to see, click here.)

Are you on pinterest? My friend Robin invited me to join a awhile ago and I fiddled around a bit, but over the past couple of weeks I have become a bit of a pinterest addict! If you 're on pinterest let me know - I'd love to see what you're pinning!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The original inspiration for this painting was Illustration Friday's "Scary" theme. On the outside, honey badgers are cute and innocent (even their name is sweet), but looks can be deceiving. According to The Guinness Book of World Records they are "the world's most fearless creatures"... They are ferocious!

What scares me? Things that aren't as they seem... Nastiness with an adorable exterior terrifies me.

I started this painting by using a collage technique Amy shared in her free workshop on Saturday. She is having another free live workshop tomorrow at 2pm CST and you're invited!

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About Me

I like to make stuff.
In college, I made enough stuff to earn a BFA from the University at Buffalo. After entering the real world, I went on to make magical messes across miles of wall space, ceilings, and canvas.
Whether I'm making a painting in the studio or making a meal for my family, I believe opportunities to play, have fun, and make wild imaginings come true are everywhere. Anything is possible... No idea is too ridiculous, no dream is too big.
EVERY day is a good day to live a creative life!